Apron A Day #6

Today is double post Tuesday so you get two for one. The first thing I want to share with you is the great news about my new blog, it is now completed and I have already written my first post which went live last week on January 23.  You can access my new blog by clicking on the button marked Create*Upcycle*Decorate*Organize on the right side of my page which is right below the Pinterest button.  Everything on that side of my blog page is a link to the symbol shown; like my Pinterest boards, the link to Where I Sew with Pink Chalk studios and the story I wrote for Coats & Clark 200^th Anniversary. I am totally in love with my new blog page and the fantastic work my Graphic Artist, Jolene Burt, did on both pages, she is fantastic!  Anyway, hop on over and check it out!!! The new blog will show all my projects for anything I create which are not sewn on a sewing machine.  Buttons, Bows & Bling will remain a sewing blog for clothing, toys, quilts and home décor items, like pillows, drapes, etc… For those of you who get this blog notification by email you will have to go to my new blog and sign up for email there to keep getting all my new projects which I will post on that sight; basically you have to sign up for email on both if you want to see what I am creating.

Now for the second post of the day, today’s post is a juicy orange apron, I made from one of my patterns, to wear while teaching sewing classes.  I fell in love with this fabric but I had no idea what I would use it for, I adore fabrics with sewing themes on them and this had that going for it with all the cute measuring tapes and polka dots.

Because I wanted to wear the apron while sewing and teaching I felt it needed lots of useful pockets for scissors, measuring tapes, tailors chalk, pins and all the rest. One small pocket was added to the top for my glasses and one long pocket divided into four sections was added along the bottom width for my sewing notions, making it easy for quick access.

I added some retro 60’s orange pom poms, from my stash, to the top and bottom of the apron and some jumbo orange rick rack to give it a little more retro flare; you know how much I love my retro accessories on aprons. I lined the apron in a complimentary fabric to give it enough body so the pockets would not sag when I placed my heavy cutting shears in them. This was a really fun apron to make and wear since it is so bright and cheery.

Thanks for letting me share the fantastic news about my new blog and my cheery orange sewing apron. There are still more aprons to share with you on this blog and lots of fun new posts on the new blog.  I am working on organizing my small office space with pretty new accessories so it will be functional and attractive. Be sure you watch for that new post over there in the next day or so.

See you soon.

Laurette

***On our new blog, Create*Upcycle*Decorate*Organize you might like:

Small Office Organization – Part 1

Apron A Day #4

Today’s apron is not one of my own designs it is a retro inspired 1940’s apron by Heidi Sheneberger.  This was the first apron I made in several years, it reminded me of the one my Grandmother Sota wore while cooking holiday dinners.  I chose three coordinating retro prints, jumbo rick rack and antique buttons to complete the look of the 1940’s; it is one of my absolute favorite aprons to wear.  The little green and white buttons came from the first flannel nightgown I made while in Junior High, I salvaged them when I wore out my gown. I think those were the first buttons I ever picked out by myself and I paid for them from my babysitting money, I still have the rest in my button box; I guess I was into recycling even back then.

Thanks for letting me share my retro 1940’s apron with you, look for more adorable aprons to appear on my blog in the very near future. 

See you soon.

Laurette

You might also like:

Apron A Day #1,2 & 3 - 2012 archives 

Retro Laundry Room

I am back from my August Break and my week off to celebrate my birthday and our 35Th Wedding Anniversary.  It is unofficially the close of summer and the beginning of the fall season with the conclusion of the long Labor Day Weekend.  It is now time to get back to creating fun projects to share with all of you over the up coming fall and winter holidays.  I managed to work on a few projects and pieces while I was away from my blog, up first is my laundry room makeover. 

The laundry room was just a simple boring beige color with lots of holes in the walls and one cabinet over the washing machine, I absolutely detested that room and I was always embarrassed whenever the door was left open and company came to visit.  I love color and beige was not going to cut it so we went out and looked for something to inspire the makeover.  We went to Target where I found the basic pieces I would use as my jumping off point.  I chose the era and room colors of retro turquoise blue and tomato red from the art piece which hangs front and center in the room.  Here are some photos of the laundry room prior to painting it and the rest are the after shots broken down into segments.

Before:

After:

From all the photos you can see I used only small accents of the tomato red spread throughout the room, the other accents were the oak cabinets and the small wooden laundry wall hanger.  The rest of the accents were all in white with the turquoise blue being the predominant wall color.  The laundry room is now such a bright fun room too walk into, with lots of new storage and great new lighting replacing the old, loud fan light.  I am very happy we spent some of our vacation time working on the laundry room which is part retro but mostly colorful and updated, I love it.

Thanks for letting me share my new laundry room with you, I hope it inspires you to take a look at the space where you do your laundry and consider updating it and making it a fun place to work in.  Remember even a laundry closet, basement or garage could use a bright coat of paint to bring some sunshine into your laundry space no matter how large or small it is. Watch for more new projects all week long, I have some really easy ones anyone can do.

See you soon.

Laurette